I love mixing humor and terror, or humor and exhaustion, or even humor and despair. I'm dealing right now with a loved one with cancer, and she's of course sad, but also telling the most disturbingly morbid jokes and puns. I love that, there's so much humanity in being able to mock fate and hardship.

Gail Simone

Categorized in : Humanity Fate Cancer

When you need to stop an asteroid, you get Superman. When you need to solve a mystery, you call Batman. But when you need to end a war, you get Wonder Woman.

Gail Simone

wonder-woman war needs

Keep faith, trust to love, fight with honor, but fight to win.

Gail Simone

fighting honor winning

Your writing is still yours, no matter what the contract or your editor might say. Trust your gut. It knows when you're screwing up. Your brain will lie to you. It loves the paycheck, it loves positive feedback. Your gut is under no obligation to make you feel good.

Gail Simone

editors writing lying

I write about heroes all the time, and I'm struck by how much of what fills us with wonder in the man-made world was the brainchild of a monster. I mean, slaves built most of the ancient wonders, our city skylines are dominated by the product of sometimes very ruthless capitalist ideals. There's a horrifying thought that I often wonder, which is, are monsters sometimes necessary?

Gail Simone

hero writing mean

There are writers who will do whatever they are told regardless of the circumstances - these are called 'hacks.' Your job isn't to make life difficult for your editor. But once a piece of crap goes out with your name on it, it is gone forever and will haunt you.

Gail Simone

editors names jobs

I get very invested in characters, it's the only way I find that I can write a book and really make it work.

Gail Simone

writing character book

Don't let the worst people you know dictate your behavior.

Gail Simone

worst behavior people

Some people are worried about the future of comics and some people are busy building it. That latter group are my heroes.

Gail Simone

hero book people

I admire writers who can remain objective and distanced, but that doesn't seem to be in my toolbox, somehow.

Gail Simone

toolbox admire objectives

I have read many, many of these first-time published efforts and often, even though some are absolutely at pro levels of production, and have very costly printing and presentation, they lack a purpose, they merely emulate successful comics that already exist... I can't stress this enough. Have something to say.

Gail Simone

stress successful book

Here's the thing, trust changes everything. Once you know what an artist can do, and you know their commitment level, it opens up the playbook hugely. I have worked with artists I really love, but they may have some small aspect that they hate drawing, or that they don't excel at, and that effectively takes that option off the table.

Gail Simone

hate artist commitment

Being a bad writer a thousand times first.

Gail Simone

thousand firsts

Most of the joy in my current life can be traced back in some way to seeing Yvonne Craig be amazing as Batgirl, Yvonne Craig.

Gail Simone

entertainment

I do a lot of book signings and conventions every year, and I meet a great many readers who are struggling... they're working through illness, injury, addiction, depression, grief, or some other trauma. It seems to me that there's a lot of heroism in fighting those things as well, as best you can.

Gail Simone

best me you depression

If you have something to say, especially that's different and needed, then do it.

Gail Simone

say something you different

My hope is that we can spread the word: Wonder Woman is not some unapproachable goddess. She's funny, dangerous, intimidating, brilliant, and compassionate. In many ways, I think she's the most human superheroine there is.

Gail Simone

woman think hope funny

If you love Tarzan, you can read stories from the 'Jungle Tales of Tarzan,' where he's just a kid, all the way up until he has a son of his own and beyond. Same with 'Batman' - you can follow him from Gotham, as a kid, to 'Dark Knight,' as a cranky old weirdo. I really love that.

Gail Simone

you dark love son

My favorite characters are always the unpredictable ones, and with Domino, you literally never know which way the dice are going to roll.

Gail Simone

never know you way

I don't need every book to have female creators, I don't care if there are books that appeal mostly to guy readers. I don't care if some books have cheesecake. I am fine with all of that. It's the not allowing anything else that makes me furious.

Gail Simone

i-am me care book

The fishnets on Black Canary never bothered me: they fit her character. It's the same for me with the bikini... most people don't wear a lot of clothes in these stories, and it's a big part of what makes her instantly recognizable. Do I want her in a raincoat? Not really.

Gail Simone

me black character people